The mayors of Terre Haute and Gary are trying to focus the discussion of gambling legislation onto the benefits of new casinos proposed for their cities, a point they indicated is being drowned out by news coverage of the access casino interests have enjoyed with state leaders.

In a hastily scheduled news conference Thursday, Terre Haute Mayor Duke Bennett and Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson said new casinos would create jobs and bolster the economies in their cities.

"We want to continue to make sure that everyone stays focused on the economic development opportunities, not only in Gary and Terre Haute, but the entire state of Indiana," Bennett said.

IndyStar reported Thursday that House Speaker Brian Bosma has a potentially lucrative contract with the Vigo County Capital Improvement Board that would benefit from a new Terre Haute casino. That revelation followed an IndyStar investigation in March that revealed an Indiana casino magnate treated Gov. Eric Holcomb to two private-jet flights and directed six-figure sums to his biggest 2016 campaign donor.

When asked by an IndyStar reporter whether gaming interests have unfair and unequal access to state leaders, the mayors said they don't believe so.

"They don't have any more access than everyday citizens," Freeman-Wilson said.

When subsequently asked whether everyday citizens can fly with the governor, she said, "It depends on what plane it is. They can certainly get on Southwest or Delta or any other plane."

Bennett said he thinks state leaders and private industries "are always going to have conversations about what's best for Indiana. And so at the end of the day I trust everyone involved with the process to make the right decisions and do the right thing."

A House-Senate committee is negotiating the final version of a complex gaming bill, Senate Bill 552, that would legalize sports wagering and allow Terre Haute to build a casino and Gary to move one to a more well-traveled area.

It's somewhat unusual for local officials to hold a press conference during final negotiations of legislation like this. The two mayors said the bill's uncertain position wasn't the reason they called the conference, which was scheduled at the Statehouse with 23 minutes' notice. Bennett said he's been seeking a casino in Terre Haute for three years and he wants to get it across the finish line.

"We are really just trying to reframe it a little bit, in a way," Bennett said. "Because it seems to be there is a lot of discussion out there about a variety of things and this has always been about economic development for us."

Following IndyStar's investigation into the private flights Holcomb took with Rod Ratcliff, chairman and CEO of Spectacle Entertainment, the Indiana House moved to put restrictions on such unfettered access to the governor's office.

Meetings between the governor's office and gaming officials would have to be open to the public under the current version of the bill. It's unclear whether that will make it into the final version.

Spectacle has been lobbying for legislation that would allow it to move its Gary casino from Lake Michigan inland to an interstate and open a casino in Terre Haute. Other gaming interests want the right to compete for the new casino in Terre Haute.